Do you want to save money on printing? Canon sells the world's cheapest original ink by the bottle

When it comes to printers, the price of ink cartridges is often an important factor for both home and office users. While a cartridge may seem affordable at first glance, the real cost lies in how much ink you get for your money.

The price of an ink cartridge can be deceptive – because a cartridge that costs $20 may only contain 2ml of ink, which could print around 100 pages. In contrast, a $50 cartridge could contain 20ml of ink, allowing you to print 1,000 pages. Even though the $20 cartridge may seem cheaper, it could be more expensive in the long run since it needs to be replaced frequently.

To determine the true cost of printing, I examined 100 ink cartridges using publicly available information on the official websites of four major brands: HP, Canon, Epson and Brother.

The hidden costs of ink cartridges

To accurately analyze long-term printing costs, we measured the price per liter of ink rather than focusing on the upfront cost of the cartridge. This approach provides a clearer picture of how much users will spend over time because it takes into account the amount of ink and the total number of pages each cartridge can print.

Of the 100 cartridges examined, 31% were rated cheap ($5,000). Interestingly, Canon and Epson each held a 35% share of the cheap ink data, while HP accounted for the remaining 30%. This suggests that all three brands are paying attention to having affordable options available.

However, Canon is proving to be a leader in affordability, offering the world’s cheapest original bottled ink.

The The Canon GI-290 boasts a price tag of just $171.29 per liter, making it the cheapest option on the market. Additionally the GI-25 from Canon The series costs just $9.99 per cartridge, which works out to $270 per liter, making it also one of the cheapest in the data examined. These low prices underscore Canon’s focus on providing cost-effective printing solutions, particularly for consumers who print frequently and want to minimize their ink costs.

While HP is often perceived as a cheap brand, the data tells a different story when you look at the cost per liter of ink.

HP dominates the affordable ink category, with 53% of its cartridges costing between $1,001 and $5,000 per liter. Canon follows in this area with 43%, while Epson and Brother only contribute 2% each. Interestingly, 18% of the inks examined are expensive and HP covers the entire 18%. The American technology company produces some of the most expensive ink cartridges in the world.

Although HP cartridges often sell for $20 to $60, the price per liter can be exceptionally high, making these cartridges some of the most expensive over time. For example, the HP 65 and 67 Tri-Color cartridges have an incredible price per liter of $9,995 and $9,495, respectively, the highest in the entire data set.

While some cartridges may seem expensive at first, they can offer significant savings to users who print in bulk.

Cartridges like the HP 32XL and Canon GI-290 have an exceptionally low price per page, effectively dropping the cost to $0.00 in some cases. These cartridges are ideal for consumers who need to print large quantities of documents or photos as they reduce the need for frequent cartridge changes and save money in the long run.

High-capacity cartridges such as the Epson T636100 and Canon PFI-1000, which hold between 700ml and 800ml of ink, are also an excellent choice for high-volume users. Although these cartridges have a higher initial cost, their large capacity reduces the frequency of replacement and minimizes long-term costs.

Another interesting trend from the data is that black ink cartridges generally offer a lower cost per page and per liter than color cartridges.

Black ink is more commonly used for everyday document printing, which explains its lower cost. However, consumers who require color printing, for example for photos or graphics, must expect a significantly higher price per liter. For example, color cartridges such as HP 902 and Canon CL-276 have a much higher price per liter, especially for magenta, cyan and yellow inks.

Users who frequently need color printing should consider brands like Epson, which offer cheaper color ink options. The Epson T664220-S cartridges in cyan, magenta, and yellow, for example, cost about $177 per liter, making them a reasonable option for anyone who needs a balance between the cost of black and color ink.

The analysis shows different strategies between the four brands: HP offers products in all three price categories – cheap, affordable and expensive – but the high price per liter for some cartridges suggests an emphasis on short-term affordability at the expense of long-term affordability Savings. Canon, on the other hand, values cheap and affordable inks, making it the best choice for cost-conscious consumers. Epson primarily targets the budget ink market, while Brother plays a smaller role overall and offers fewer options across the price spectrum.

If you print large amounts of documents or run a small business that needs to print large amounts of documents, ink tank printers are the right choice. They are designed for high print volumes, offer a lower cost per page and do not require regular refills.

Do you want to save money on printing? Canon sells the world’s cheapest original ink by the bottle

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